2018 Breakthrough: Elsie Fisher of 'Eighth Grade'

Elsie Fisher was about to give up on acting right before Bo Burnham's coming-of-age project "Eighth Grade" came on her radar, and it's a good thing she decided to take one last chance.

Her deft portrayal of a lonely teenage YouTuber in her last week of middle school has earned her Golden Globe and Independent Spirit Awards nominations, and now, being named one of The Associated Press' Breakthrough Entertainers of 2018.

It's also earned her the attention of entertainment heavyweights like Lin-Manuel Miranda and Alfonso Cuaron, who said her signature line ("Gucci!") to her at the Governor's Awards last month.

In this Nov. 19, 2018 photo, actress Elsie Fisher, star of the film "Eighth Grade," poses for a portrait in Los Angeles. Fisher was named as one of eight Breakthrough Entertainers of the Year by the Associated Press. (Photo by Chris PizzelloInvisionAP)

"He gave me a 'Gucci' and I was ready to cry," Fisher said. "It was really cool. It was really intense, but good intense."

A future in acting wasn't also so bright, however. The now 15-year-old actress had had some success early on, voicing the role of Agnes in the "Despicable Me" movies starting at the age of 4, but by age 13, the roles were drying up and auditions were getting a little meaner. Fisher said people even made rude comments about her acne.

"I wasn't enjoying it," Fisher said. "I just wasn't working a lot either. It was taking me out of school. It was a lot of give and not a lot of get. But 'Eighth Grade' changed everything."

In this Nov. 19, 2018 photo, actress Elsie Fisher, star of the film "Eighth Grade," poses for a portrait in Los Angeles. Fisher was named as one of eight Breakthrough Entertainers of the Year by the Associated Press. (Photo by Chris PizzelloInvisionAP)

Not only has the film led to multiple awards nominations, up against the likes of Glenn Close and Toni Collette ("I'm like please just let Toni win, she deserves it!" Fisher said) but she's also now getting more work.

She's voicing a role in MGM's animated "The Addams Family" and starring in a musical from "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants" director Ken Kwapis called "The Shaggs," about three sisters who form a rock band in the late 1960s.

"It's been great," she said. "I love working. I hate auditioning. It's been great to have work."

In this Nov. 19, 2018 photo, actress Elsie Fisher, star of the film "Eighth Grade," poses for a portrait in Los Angeles. Fisher was named as one of eight Breakthrough Entertainers of the Year by the Associated Press. (Photo by Chris PizzelloInvisionAP)

And she's made some friends in her peer group along the way in Thomasin McKenzie ("Leave No Trace") and Millicent Simmonds ("A Quiet Place"). She met both on the awards circuit.

"They're both like incredible actresses my age, so it has been really cool to connect with them and I think they both represent our age group really well," she said.

And she's had her "Eighth Grade" director Burnham to help navigate the crazy world she's found herself in, too.

In this Nov. 19, 2018 photo, actress Elsie Fisher, star of the film "Eighth Grade," poses for a portrait in Los Angeles. Fisher was named as one of eight Breakthrough Entertainers of the Year by the Associated Press. (Photo by Chris PizzelloInvisionAP)

"But I've been kind of winging it," she added. "Going with the flow."

For more on the AP's 2018 Breakthrough Entertainers honorees, visit: https://apnews.com/tag/APBreakthroughEntertainers

CARY, N.C. (AP) — Clayton Kershaw isn't done pitching just yet, agreeing Thursday to join the U.S. team for this year's World Baseball Classic.

The three-time NL Cy Young Award winner wanted to pitch for the Americans in the 2023 tournament but was prevented because of insurance issues. He had a $20 million, one-year contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers at the time.

“I was too broken for the insurance to cover my arm and everything,” Kershaw said on MLB Network, “so now that it doesn't matter I get to go and be a part of this group.”

A left-hander who turns 38 two days after the March 17 championship game, Kershaw announced last September that he was retiring at the end of the season, his 18th in a stellar career for the Dodgers. He won his third World Series title and finished 223-96 with a 2.53 ERA and 3,052 strikeouts.

“I just want to be the insurance policy,” Kershaw said. “If anybody needs a breather or if they need me to pitch back-to-back-to-back or if they don’t need me to pitch at all, I’m just there to be there. I just want to be a part of this group.”

Later Thursday, new Chicago Cubs third baseman Alex Bregman announced he will join the U.S. team.

When Kershaw received a call from U.S. manager Mark DeRosa, he thought he was being invited as a coach.

“I didn't have a whole lot of interest in picking up a baseball again," Kershaw said. “I started throwing 10, 12 days ago and it doesn’t feel terrible, so I think I’ll be OK.”

Kershaw joins a U.S. pitching staff that includes right-handers David Bednar, Clay Holmes, Griffin Jax, Nolan McLean, Mason Miller, Joe Ryan, Paul Skenes and Logan Webb along with left-handers Tarik Skubal and Gabe Speier.

The American roster also includes catchers Cal Raleigh and Will Smith; infielders Ernie Clement, Gunnar Henderson, Brice Turang and Bobby Witt Jr.; outfielders Byron Buxton, Corbin Carroll, Pete Crow-Armstrong and Aaron Judge; and designated hitter Kyle Schwarber.

The U.S., which lost the 2023 championship game to Japan, opens March 6 against Brazil at Houston, part of a group that also includes Britain, Italy and Mexico.

Shohei Ohtani struck out then-Los Angeles Angels teammate Mike Trout to end Japan's 3-2 win in the 2023 championship. Kershaw doesn't anticipate facing Ohtani, his teammate for the Dodgers' World Series titles in 2024 and 2025.

“I think something will have gone terribly wrong if I have to pitch against team Japan in the finals or something. I think we got plenty of guys to get that guy out and not me,” Kershaw said. “But if that happens, I'll be nervous. I'll be nervous at this point.”

AP baseball: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB

FILE - Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw celebrates the end of the top of the 12th inning against the Toronto Blue Jays in Game 3 of baseball's World Series, Monday, Oct. 27, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson, File)